HIV Infection
What is HIV Infection?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is a virus that attacks your immune system, which is your body's defense against illness. When HIV damages immune cells called CD4 cells, your body becomes weaker at fighting infections and diseases.
Without treatment, HIV can progress to AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection. Thanks to modern medicine, people with HIV who take medication can live long, healthy lives and prevent the virus from spreading to others.
HIV spreads through contact with certain body fluids from someone who has the virus. Early detection through testing is key to starting treatment quickly. With the right care, HIV becomes a manageable chronic condition rather than a life-threatening illness.
Symptoms
Many people with HIV have no symptoms for years after infection. When symptoms do appear, they may include:
- Fever and chills that last several days
- Severe fatigue and weakness
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin
- Sore throat and mouth ulcers
- Skin rash that appears suddenly
- Muscle aches and joint pain
- Night sweats that soak your sheets
- Rapid, unexplained weight loss
- Frequent infections that take longer to heal
Some people experience flu-like symptoms 2 to 4 weeks after infection. Others have no symptoms for 10 years or more. The only way to know your HIV status is through testing.
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Causes and risk factors
HIV spreads when infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or breast milk enters your body. The most common ways people get HIV are through unprotected sex and sharing needles for drug use. You cannot get HIV from casual contact like hugging, shaking hands, or sharing dishes.
Your risk increases if you have multiple sexual partners, have other sexually transmitted infections, or use injectable drugs. A mother with HIV can pass the virus to her baby during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. However, treatment during pregnancy reduces this risk to less than 1%. Healthcare workers face risk from needle stick injuries, though this is rare with proper safety measures.
How it's diagnosed
HIV is diagnosed through blood tests that look for HIV antibodies and antigens. Antibodies are proteins your immune system makes to fight the virus. Antigens are parts of the virus itself. The 4th generation HIV test can detect infection as early as 18 to 45 days after exposure.
Rite Aid offers HIV screening through our testing service at Quest Diagnostics locations. If your test is positive, your doctor will order additional tests to confirm the diagnosis and check your viral load. Regular testing is important if you have risk factors or want to know your status for peace of mind.
Treatment options
- Antiretroviral therapy, or ART, is medication that stops HIV from multiplying in your body
- Taking ART daily as prescribed can reduce your viral load to undetectable levels
- When your viral load is undetectable, you cannot transmit HIV to sexual partners
- PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is medication that prevents HIV in people at high risk
- PEP, or post-exposure prophylaxis, can prevent infection if taken within 72 hours of exposure
- Practice safe sex by using condoms and limiting sexual partners
- Never share needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment
- Get tested regularly if you have risk factors for HIV
- Work with an HIV specialist who can monitor your health and adjust treatment
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle with good nutrition, regular exercise, and stress management
Need testing for HIV Infection? Add it to your panel.
- Simple blood draw at your nearest lab
- Results in days, not weeks
- Share results with your doctor
Frequently asked questions
The 4th generation HIV test can detect infection 18 to 45 days after exposure. This test looks for both HIV antibodies and antigens. For the most accurate results, get tested at 45 days and again at 90 days if the first test is negative. Testing too early may not detect a new infection.
There is currently no cure for HIV. However, antiretroviral therapy can control the virus so well that it becomes undetectable in your blood. People with undetectable viral loads live normal lifespans and cannot transmit HIV to others. Research into a cure continues, but treatment today is highly effective.
When HIV treatment reduces your viral load to undetectable levels, you cannot transmit the virus through sex. This concept is called U=U or undetectable equals untransmittable. You must take your medication consistently and have regular blood tests to maintain an undetectable status.
If you are sexually active, get tested at least once per year. If you have multiple partners, share needles, or have other risk factors, get tested every 3 to 6 months. Your doctor may recommend more frequent testing based on your individual situation. Early detection leads to better health outcomes.
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection, when your immune system is severely damaged. With modern treatment, most people with HIV never develop AIDS. Taking antiretroviral medication prevents HIV from progressing to AIDS.
Yes, people with HIV who take medication as prescribed can live long, healthy lives. Your lifespan can be nearly the same as someone without HIV. You can work, exercise, have relationships, and pursue your goals. The key is consistent treatment and regular medical care.
Seek medical care immediately if you think you were exposed within the past 72 hours. Your doctor can prescribe PEP, emergency medication that may prevent infection. After 72 hours, PEP is no longer effective. Get tested at 18 to 45 days after exposure and again at 90 days.
Modern HIV medications have fewer side effects than older drugs. Some people experience nausea, headache, or fatigue when starting treatment, but these often improve within weeks. Your doctor can adjust your medication if side effects persist. The benefits of treatment far outweigh the risks of side effects.
Yes, people with HIV can have children safely. If you take antiretroviral therapy and maintain an undetectable viral load, the risk of passing HIV to your partner or baby is extremely low. Your doctor will provide guidance on pregnancy planning and care. Many HIV-positive parents have healthy, HIV-negative children.
PrEP is a daily medication that prevents HIV infection in people at high risk. You may benefit from PrEP if you have a partner with HIV, have multiple sexual partners, or inject drugs. Talk to your doctor about whether PrEP fits your situation. When taken as prescribed, PrEP reduces HIV risk by more than 99%.